The present application relates to an interlocking slidable assembly useful for movable extensible platforms and other movable structural members such as a movable or slidable floor or plate extension for rear cargo areas, such as truck beds and other cargo bed areas, of motor vehicles such as pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), station wagons and vans. The present invention particularly relates to an interlocking slidable assembly having guide members that slidably interlock with rotatable members that rotate about a vertical axis.
With the proliferation of compact, mid-size and full-size pickup trucks with short beds, generally ranging from 4 to 6.5 feet in length, there is a limitation on the ability of truck owners to effectively haul longer items typically accommodated by longer beds (e.g., a 4 footxc3x978 foot sheet of plywood). A similar problem exists with the cargo area of other motor vehicles such as sport utility vehicles (SUVs), station wagons and vans that are also used to haul such items.
Several approaches have been previously suggested to expand the cargo carrying capacity of pickup truck beds and other motor vehicles used to haul various items. One such approach is to use a tailgate extension device to provide a longer bed floor area. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,850 (Tillery), issued May 17, 1977; U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,773 to (Smith), issued Jul. 30, 1985; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,480 (Bryan), issued May 26, 1998. While these prior tailgate extension devices do provide for an expanded cargo floor area, the steps necessary for their assembly and regular use are relatively complex. In addition, when not in use as a bed extension, these prior extension devices serve no other beneficial purpose.
A variation of the tailgate extension approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,047 (Leitner, et al), issued Dec. 23, 1997, involving a U-shaped truck bed extender 11 that can be rotatably mounted to the side walls of the rear portion of a pickup bed and then rotated inside the bed to serve as a storage/retaining compartment for loaded items or outside the bed onto the lowered tailgate to effectively expand the enclosed cargo area. While retention is provided for cargo items that extend onto the lowered tailgate, this truck bed extender does not truly expand or extend the truck bed or cargo area floor.
Another prior approach to expand the cargo carrying capacity of a pickup truck bed involves slidable assemblies that expand the bed or floor to accommodate larger load items, but can be retracted to a shortened bed length when such capability is not required. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,123 (Brockhaus), issued Apr. 21, 1990; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,637 (Adams et al), issued Oct. 6, 1998. While these prior expandable and retractable beds or floors provide for expanded cargo area when needed, their construction and installation is necessarily complex, in that the expansion (and retraction) mechanism is a duplicative element in the manufacture of an entire truck bed.
Still another approach for slidable assemblies used with work benches, plates, floors, beds, tables and the like that are movable within the pickup bed cargo area involves various types and configurations of rollers for ease of slidable movement. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,335 (Russell), issued Feb. 25, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,941 (Kulas et al), issued May 7, 1996; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,339 (Madson), issued May 9, 2000. For several of these devices, the rollers can be guided or mounted for movement within or along a track, rail or channel. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,088 (Chudik), issued Feb. 19, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,146 (Albrecht et al), issued May 24, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,511 (Webber), issued Oct. 10, 1995; U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,792 (Sciullo et al.), issued May 23, 2000. The rollers for these prior slidable assemblies cited above are mounted for rotation about the horizontal axis. As a result, the weight distribution is uneven in that the primary weight-bearing surface will be at the bottom of each of the rollers. This can make it more difficult to slidably move the bench, plate, floor, bed or table, especially if the bench, plate, floor, bed or table is relatively heavy. In addition, this uneven weight distribution can greatly increase the amount of wear that occurs on the rollers.
Some of these slidable assemblies with guided or mounted roller systems use rollers that have grooves or notches for engaging the guiding rail, track or channel. One such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,731 (Tognetti), issued Jul. 22, 1997 and involves a workbench that is supported by rollers 58 and 66 having respective grooves 60 and 68 that receive portions of respective rails 46 and 52. Another such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,262 (Mills), issued Aug. 12, 1999 and involves a slidable truck bed extension plate 26 mounted on parallel connecting rails 36 that rotatably mount three pairs of upper and lower rollers 38, 40, each of the rollers having respective wheel well notches 28, 32; each of the pairs of upper and lower rollers 38, 40 are spaced apart to receive a rail 44 supported on truck bed 12 by three spaced rail supports 46. As with the other prior roller systems for slidable assemblies, the notched or grooved roller systems of the Tognetti and Mills patents are mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis. This means that the primary weight-bearing surface will again be the bottom surface of the rollers with the attendant problems of difficulty in moving the workbench or plate if it is relatively heavy and increased wear on the rollers (especially the lower rollers 38 of the Mills system) because of the uneven distribution of weight. In addition, because the rollers rotate about the horizontal axis, the notches or grooves of the Tognetti and Mills roller systems open vertically and are more likely to pick up, collect and accumulate dirt and other debris. This can increase the degree of friction between the rollers and the respective rails, again making it potentially more difficult to slidably move the workbench or plate.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a slidable assembly for a movable extensible platform, plate, floor, bed, table or similar movable structural member useable with pickup truck beds and other cargo areas of motor vehicles used to haul various items that: (1) is of relatively simple construction; (2) permits relatively easy movement of the movable structural member, especially between fully extended and fully stored positions; (3) provides for more even weight distribution to permit relatively easy slidable movement between fully extended and stored positions without excessive wear; and (4) is not prone to accumulating dirt and other debris that can inhibit the ability for easily slidable movement.
The present invention relates to an interlocking slidable assembly for movable extensible platforms or other movable structural members used with a base member, such as a movable or sliding floor or plate extension used with the rear cargo areas of a motor vehicle. In one embodiment, this assembly comprises:
a. a first and second plurality of rotatable members associated with one of the structural member and the base member;
b. the first plurality of rotatable members being spaced apart along a first longitudinal axis;
c. the second plurality of rotatable members being spaced apart along a second longitudinal axis spaced laterally from and substantially parallel to the first axis;
d. each rotatable member of the first and second pluralities being rotatable about a substantially vertical rotational axis;
e. a guide component associated with the other of the structural member and the base member;
f. the guide component having a first guide member that slidably engages the first plurality of rotatable members and a second guide member that slidably engages the second plurality of rotatable members so that the guide component slidably interlocks with the first and second plurality of rotatable members;
g. one of each of the guide members and each of the rotatable members having a recess in the periphery thereof to slidably receive the other of the guide members and the rotatable members.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, this assembly comprises:
a. a plurality of rotatable members associated with one of the structural member and the base member and spaced apart along a longitudinal axis;
b. each rotatable member being rotatable about a substantially vertical rotational axis;
c. a guide component associated with the other of the structural member and having a first guide member and second guide member;
d. one of each of the guide members and each of the rotatable members having a recess in the periphery thereof to slidably receive the other of the guide members and the rotatable members.
e. the first and second guide members being oriented on opposite sides of each rotatable member so as that the guide component slidably interlocks with the plurality of rotatable members.
The above embodiments of the interlocking slidable assembly of the present invention provide a number of advantages over prior slidable assemblies used with movable platforms, floors, plates, beds, tables and similar movable structural members, especially relative to prior slidable assemblies that use rollers that are mounted for rotation about horizontal axes. Because the rotatable members of the present invention rotate about vertical axes, there is a better and more even distribution of weight on the weight-bearing surfaces. This better and more even weight distribution not only makes it easier for slidable movement of the movable structural member, especially from a fully stored to a fully extended position (and vice versa), but can also decrease the amount of wear on the weight bearing surfaces of the rotatable members. In addition, because the recesses in the rotatable members (or the guide members) are oriented to open horizontally (rather than vertically), dirt and other debris will have less of a tendency to collect and accumulate in the recesses and thus inhibit slidable movement.
Other benefits and advantages of the interlocking slidable assemblies of the present invention include:
(a) providing a slidable assembly for use with a variety of movable extensible platforms or other movable structural members such as an integrated sliding floor extension for a truck bed and multiple purpose vehicle cargo area to: (1) increase the utility of shorter beds for hauling longer items; and (2) increase the ease of and access to loading and unloading of items stored in the bed or cargo area, rather than leaning into the bed compartment from the side or rear or into the vehicle cargo area to load or retrieve a cargo item.
(b) providing a slidable assembly that has a relatively simple structure, is relatively easy to operate and is relatively resistant to mechanical malfunction during typical use;
(c) providing a slidable assembly that can integrate the motor vehicle (e.g., pickup truck or multiple purpose vehicle) cargo area with a sliding floor or extension plate to increase the ease of access to cargo, extend the pickup bed load floor, and provide a multifunctional platform for mounting, attaching or otherwise incorporating cargo dividers/restraining devices, toolboxes, coolers, canoe racks or other such items. This can be achieved whether the cargo area is constructed of metal, composite/plastic or a combination of the two. In particular, the slidable assembly of the present invention is especially useful for providing for the bed or cargo area of a motor vehicle (e.g., pickup trucks, vans, SUVs, other passenger vehicles, etc.) a sliding floor or extension to enable the stored or hauled items therein to be easily removed from the rear of the truck or passenger vehicle, as well as to increase the length of the bed/cargo area floor.